Time and again the importance of the effect of a casino’s rules on your long term profit and/or losses has been stressed in this blog. If you want to make as much money as you want playing blackjack or at least want to minimize the amount of money you actually lose you need to pay real attention and consider the blackjack rules in a casino. Each casino has its own set of rules and depending on their rules this will set affect the house advantage so that it can favor you or them.

In online casinos the house rules are determined by the blackjack software they use. This means that without even registering in an online casino you can already know their rules and determine the effects of these rules on the house advantage. However, it is of course impossible if you don’t know software the casino uses or the standard rules for different blackjac softwares. To help you in this regard here are a few blackjack software rules for several top blackjack softwares used.

RULES:

1. Number of decks used

Microgaming (single hand)- 1

Cryptologic – 8

Boss Media single player – 1

Boss Media Multi Player regular game – 6

Boss Media multi-player single deck – 1

Remember to choose the game with the least number of decks (so you’d better go with single decks of course). The lower the number of decks the lower the house advantage. In truth while other rule variations do affect the house advantage this is the one rule that affects it the most.

2. Dealer Stands on Soft 17

Microgaming – Yes

Cryptologic – Yes

Boss Media single player – Yes

Boss Media multi-player regular game – Yes

Boss Media multi-player single deck – Yes Yes is good. No is bad.

3. Double after Splitting allowed

Microgaming – No

Cryptologic – Yes

Boss Media single player – Yes

Boss Media multi-player regular game – Yes

Boss Media multi-player single deck – Yes

Again, yes is good and no is bad. By being allowed to double you of course get a chance to increase your winnings with a bigger bet if you know you’re going to get a good hand because of splitting. It gives you more options for your strategy.

4. Double on Any Two Cards allowed

Microgaming – No except for 9-11

Cryptologic – Yes

Boss Media single player – Yes

Boss Media multi-player regular game – Yes

Boss Media multi-player single deck – Yes

For the same reason as doubling after splitting this rule is favorable to the player.

5. Dealer Peeks at Hole Card

Microgaming – If first card is a 10 or an Ace

Cryptologic – Never

Boss Media single player – If first card is an Ace

Boss Media multi-player regular game – Never

Boss Media multi-player single deck – Never

Peeking is favorable for players. Peeking means that if the dealer gets a blackjack the game is over, players automatically lose (except for those who have blackjacks too), and a new hand is dealt. If the dealer doesn’t get to peek the players are given a chance to increase their bets, which means that if the dealer does have a blackjack the players will then lose more that if the dealer peeked and the game was declared over.